The new guide is aimed at designers, brands prepress professionals and printers. It was developed in partnership with Esko and Disc Graphics.

Step 2

Extended Gamut printing, also referred to as fixed colour palette printing, is increasingly employed in the packaging industry as there are frequently multiple brand colours per project, but shorter run lengths – an environment where use of spot colour can be time-consuming and costly.

Pantone said its new guide will allow designers and printers to achieve approximately 90% of all Pantone Matching System spot colours.

Step 3

Presented in a portable fan guide format, it includes 1,729 seven-colour process simulations of Pantone Formula Guide Solid Coated Colors on coated stock, as well as closest seven-color process match with sRGB* values.

Screen tint percentages are displayed as viewed under D50 lighting (5000° K) and colours bleed off page edges for ease and accuracy when comparison checking. Each colour is identified with a distinct Pantone Extended Gamut Coated (XGC) Number and/or name

It also inlcudes the Pantone Color Manager Software for updating Pantone Colors in popular design applications and a colour locator index.

Step 4

These seven-colour process recipes allow not only for closer spot colour matching accuracy but also less downtime and faster turnaround times on press. This also amounts to savings for printers who can take advantage of a reduced ink inventory.

Each page of the Pantone Extended Gamut Coated Guide has been replicated and numbered to mirror that of the current Pantone Plus Series Formula Guide, so a designer or printer can quickly and easily compare the original spot colours to the new extended gamut reproductions.